Are You Paying for a Website That is Not Performing for You?
There's something that thousands of small businesses are paying for every month that is delivering far less value than it should considering how much they are spending.
It’s not VAT. It’s not business rates. It’s a monthly fee going out to an agency or a web design company for “SEO and website maintenance.” The real crime is the fact that many of these small business websites are not performing very well. That’s because they’re simply not built to perform as well as they should.
Often even the most basic principles of SEO are not followed. And using the latest techniques to ensure the site is found when using ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude? Forget it. And many wonder why their website isn’t ranking and new customers aren’t calling.
Far too many people are paying for the appearance of being looked after. But the poor performance of their website tells a different story.
The Problem Is More Common Than You Think
Take a look at your website right now. Not at how it looks - at how it performs.
Can you find it on Google when you search for what you offer? Not by typing your business name (anyone can rank for their own name). Type in what a potential customer would look for. “Plumbers near me that fix hot water cylinders.” “Best local coffee shop that does toasties.” “Special events hosts that sing Scottish Gaelic.” “Salons that do highlights near me.”
Are you ranking on Google? Are you on page one of Google search results?
Not every site can rank on page one - the competition is not casual to say the least. But if your website isn’t ranking as well as you think it should - that’s a problem. And if you’re paying monthly for a website that’s not bringing you new business, that can be a very expensive problem.
Now ask yourself this: Has anyone who manages your website ever mentioned GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)? AIO (AI Overview Optimisation)? Schema markup? These aren’t techy industry buzzwords - they’re the new frontier of how people find businesses online.
When someone asks ChatGPT, Google’s AI Mode, or Perplexity to recommend a local service, the websites that show up are the ones built with this in mind. If your website wasn’t built for this, you’re not showing up there. Your competition is.
What You’re Actually Getting for That Monthly Fee
Monthly retainers for SEO and website maintenance vary wildly. Some businesses pay £100 a month. Some pay £500. Some pay much more. The promise is usually the same: we’ll keep your site updated and make sure your SEO is current so that people can find you on the internet.
Far too often, this is what actually happens:
The site gets a plugin update or two. Maybe a security patch if needed. But the meta titles and descriptions haven’t been touched in far too long. The image file names and alt text are either duplicated across pages or are auto-generated nonsense. There’s no schema markup telling Google what kind of business you are, where you’re located, and what you do. The page load speed is poor. Grammar errors remain unfixed. (I’ve even seen this on a web designer’s website.) Headlines aren’t properly set for SEO. The mobile experience is an afterthought. And nobody - not once - has sat down and thought about how to make the site show up when an AI tool recommends businesses like yours.
You’re not being taken care of. You’re getting the illusion of being taken care of. And you’re paying how much for this every month??
The SEO Basics That Are Often Ignored or Poorly Executed
Good SEO isn’t complicated. It’s not magic. And it’s definitely not a secret. It’s a set of fundamentals that need to be done properly and done consistently if you want your website to perform. Here’s what a well-built site should have - and what a surprising number of websites are still missing.
Proper page titles and meta descriptions. Every page on your site should have a unique, keyword-rich title and a compelling meta description that makes someone want to click. Not “Home | Business Name.” Not “Welcome to The Company X Website.” These things must tell Google - and the person searching for what you’re selling - exactly what that page is about.
A clear site structure. Google needs to crawl your site efficiently. That means logical page hierarchy through properly set headlines, internal and external links that not only work but are relevant, and no dead ends. Many sites that are years old - and even some new ones - have serious structural problems that are responsible for poor performance and rankings
Fast load times and mobile optimisation. Google uses mobile-first indexing. If your site loads slowly on a phone, that hurts its ranking. This isn’t a technicality - it directly affects how many people find you. A site that loads fast and adapts properly to any screen size or format is what web designers mean when they talk about a “responsive” website.
Real keyword strategy. Using the word “plumber” a few times on your homepage isn’t going to get you found any more than using the word “dog” a few times on your homepage. You need a web designer or company that has a genuine understanding of what your ideal customers type into search engines with those words mapped to specific pages and text that is written to match.
Schema markup. What? OK - this one might be a little techy. Schema markup is specifically structured data that sits on your website in the code behind the scenes. It tells search engines what your business is, where it is, what it does, how to contact you, and what people think of it - all of which helps your site perform better in both traditional search and AI-powered results. Most small business websites don’t have it. It’s one of the most impactful things you can add, and it’s not difficult to implement on a modern platform. But if you don’t even know about it, and a surprising number of web designers don’t, you’re stopped before you can start.
GEO and AIO: The New Frontier That Too Many Agencies Have Barely Started Thinking About
Search is changing. It’s been changing for a while, but the pace has accelerated dramatically. Google now answers many queries directly with an AI-generated summary at the top of the results page - the AI Overview. ChatGPT, Gemini and tools like Perplexity are increasingly where people go to find recommendations rather than traditional search.
These tools don’t work the same way Google’s classic algorithm does. They pull from websites that are structured clearly, written with authority, and built in a way that makes it easy for AI to understand what the business is, what it offers, and why it’s trustworthy.
If your site doesn’t have FAQ content that directly answers the questions your customers ask, if it doesn’t have schema markup, if it doesn’t have clear, well-written copy that establishes your expertise - you simply will not be recommended by AI. At all.
GEO - Generative Engine Optimisation - is the discipline of building and writing for websites to perform in this new environment. It’s not separate from good SEO. It complements it. But it requires a deliberate approach, and it requires someone who actually understands what these AI tools are looking for.
AIO - AI Overview Optimisation - is the practice of ensuring your website is structured and written in a way that earns a mention in Google’s AI Mode results. These are the AI-generated summaries that now appear at the very top of many Google searches, above all the traditional results. If your business isn’t being picked up by the AI Overview for relevant searches, you’re simply not even in the running for what is a very significant opportunity.
Most agencies maintaining small business websites right now have barely started thinking about these things. That’s because it’s a fast-moving space and a surprising number of people and businesses haven’t caught up yet. Especially those who have been in the business for a long time. But the reality is - if you’re paying for your website to be maintained without any consideration for GEO or AIO, you are paying to stay behind the pack, not get ahead of it.
The Good News: The Solution is Easier Than You Think
If the idea of rebuilding your website to meet the performance standards you deserve sounds expensive, disruptive, or time-consuming - it doesn’t have to be any of those things. Regan Web Design can build you a new website on Squarespace that will look almost identical to your current site - but it will be built properly from the ground up and built to actually perform.
And because it will be built on Squarespace - a company responsible for nearly 5 million websites worldwide - you’ll have enterprise-level security baked in from day one, all updates taken care of automatically, and you’ll actually own your website and everything you need to have full control of it.
You’ll have a professional website that loads fast, works beautifully on all platforms, and has proper SEO, GEO and AIO strategy baked right in from day one. Page structure, text/copy, metadata, schema markup, FAQ content…all of it built in properly with the goal of making your business easy to find whether someone is searching on Google or asking AI.
And the ongoing maintenance and SEO charge are easy to understand, transparent, and a fraction of what many businesses are currently paying. And - completely optional.
It’s Time To Give Your Business The Boost It Deserves
If you’re paying a monthly retainer for SEO and maintenance on a website that isn’t ranking, isn’t bringing in new customers, and has rarely if ever been thought about in terms of AI search - we need to talk.
I’m not going to hard-sell you. I’m not going to promise you the first page of Google overnight - or ever. Anyone who does that is the definition of a red flag. What I will do is take a look at your current site, tell you honestly what’s holding it back, and offer you a properly built replacement that will actually give you value for your hard-earned money.
Get in touch with me (Regan) directly at reganwebdesign.com. I’m always happy to answer questions.